Mechanism for assembling bearings



Jan. 26, 193?. F. KETCHAM ET Al. 2,068,683

MECHANISM FOR ASSEMBLING BEARINGS Original Filed March 30, 1933 3Sheets-Sheet //6 y' :MMM/' ATTRNEYS,

Jan. 26, 1937.

F. KETCHAM Er AL 2,068,683

MECHANISM FOR ASSEMBLING BEARINGS Original Filed March 50, 1933 3Sheets-Sheet 2 A55 BY Me ATTORNEYS. /J

Jan. 26, 1937. l F KETCHAM v|51- AL 2,068,683

MECHANISM FOR ASSEMBLING BEARINGS Original Filed March 30, 1933 3Sheets-Shea?I 3 [BY u l Amym A TTORNEY Patented Jan. 26, 1937 MECHANSMFR ASSEMBLNG BEARNGS Frank Ketcham, Dearborn, and George E. Dunn,Detroit, Mich., assignors to The Universal Products Company, DelawareEnc., a corporation of 3 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for assembling roller bearings or thelike and it has particular relation to a machine wherein a hopper feedmechanism is utilized. It constitutes a division of our co-pendingapplication for patent, Serial Number 663,444, led March 30, i933.v

An object of the present invention is to provide a machine which willassemble a plurality of rollers in predetermined grouped positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine which willseparate rollers from a loose quantity and position them inpredetermined relatio-n.

Other objects of the invention will become l apparent from the followingdescription, the

drawings relating thereto and the claims hereinafter set forth.

For an understanding of the invention, reference may be had to thedrawings, wherein,

Figure l is a view in front elevation of the improved machine, a portionof the front panel thereof being broken away to show the interiorconstruction.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View in top plan of the same with a part of thehopper and discharge conduit thereof shown in horizontal section.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary View, partly in elevation and partlyin section, taken on the line Illfl of Fig. 3, looking in the directionindicated.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2,looking in the direction indicated.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 6- of Fig. 3,looking in the direction indicated.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken on the line l-l of Fig. 6 with theaxially movable roller assembling -mandrel shown in position for havingthe rollers assembled therearound.

In the construction shown in the drawings, the improved machine isassembled on a table or frame comprising a horizontally disposed topplate l5 of substantially rectangular shape, supported by depending legsl disposed at the four corners thereof. A horizontally disposed shelfll' is secured to the legs l5 in spaced relation, below the top i5 uponwhich the motor drive units are mounted, and a vertically disposed frontpanel I8 closes the space between the top i5 and shelf il at the frontside of the machine.

The improved roller bearing assembling ma* chine comprises a shallowannular hopper, generally designated as IS in Fig. 1, which is formed(Cl. B21-i3d) by a vertically disposed stationary annular rim 2li, acover plate 2l, and a stationary base member 22. The base 22 is providedwith a depending tubular neck 23, the lower end of which is securelyheld in a mounting bracket 24 by a set screw 25. The hopper is providedwith a rotatable bottom 26 mounted at the top end of a verticallydisposed shaft 2l which is journaled in opposed taper roller bearings 28and 29, which are assembled in a cup-shaped member 30. The lower or baseend of the cup 3i) is exteriorly threaded for engaging complementarythreads formed on the interior of the neck 23 at the lower end thereof.A nut 3l is threaded on the shaft '2l immediately below the cup 3G foradjusting and retaining the opposed taper roller bearings 2t and 29 withtheir respective bearing raceways.

The shaft 2l is of reduced diameter immediately below the threadedportion which receives the nut 3! and extends downwardly through anopening 32 formed in the top I5 and the lower end thereof carries ahorizontally disposed belt pulley 33 rigidly aiixed thereto forreceiving a V-shaped drive belt 36.1. The drive belt 34 is given aquarter turn to pass over and be driven by a vertically positioned beltpulley 35 which is rigidly affixed to-a horizontally disposedcountershaft 35. The countershaft 3S is journaled in bearings 3l and 38carried at the lower end of depending brackets 39 and l0 respectivelywhich are rigidly secured to the underside of the top member l5.

Rotation is imparted to the countershaft 36 by an electric motor llimounted on the shelf I'l, the drive of which is imparted through a chaini2 and sprocket wheels 43 and it mounted on the motor armature shaft andcountershaft 3B, respectively.

The side wall 26 of the hopper, at a point closely adjacent to the topsurface of the revolving bottom 2li, is provided with a tangentiallydisposed opening for receiving one end of a roller discharge conduit 55.Means are provided immediately in front of the opening for controllingthe flow of rollers into the discharge conduit 55, which comprises ahorizontally rotatable disc llt having a finger or lug dl thereon whichprotrudes into the pathway of the rollers being fed to the dischargeconduit, the disc B6 being positioned in a horizontally disposed slotformed in the hopper side wall 2l). Means are provided for rotating thedisc i6, and comprise a vertically disposed shaft 58, the lower end ofwhich is journaled in a suitable bearing assembly 19. The disc i5 andshaft L38 are driven by a link belt 55 which passes around the sprocketon the shaft i8 and around a similar sprocket 5| rigidly aiiixed to theupper end of the shaft 21 immediately beneath the hopper bottom 25.

The conduit i5 which receives rollers 52 as they are discharged from thehopper by centrifugal action, is made in sections with suitable collars53 and 55 so that it may be readily removed in case of jamming or othertrouble which interrupts the iiow of rollers therethrough.

As shown in Fig. '1, the other end of the conduit 35 terminates at, andis supported by an upstanding bracket 55 which carries a plate 55rigidly secured thereto by screws 51, a slot being provided at the endof the plate 55 adjacent to the terminating end of the conduit 45, sothat rollers passing endwise through the conduit in end to end abuttingrelationship are projected across the slot and strike against a closedend wall to stop further axial movement of the roller.

Referring also to Figs. 3, 4 and 6, means are provided for engaging therollers projected into the slot and forcing them downwardly in asubstantially vertically disposed passageway and comprise a pair ofdepending fingers 58 and 55 which are rigidly secured to the ends ofhorizontally disposed rocker arms 50 and 6| respectively, which arejournaled on a cross shaft 52. The shaft G2 is supported by anupstanding bracket 53, the lower end of which is rigidly mounted to thetop plate l5 and the upper end of which is bifurcated to form spacedparallel arms 54 and 55, which receive the rocker arms therebetween, andin the upper ends of which the shaft 52 is supported.

As best shown by Fig. 4, the rocker arms 55 and 5| are adapted to haveindividual and independent movement from a single or common source ofactuation and which is secured by a transversely disposed yoke member56, which is pivoted medially of its ends on a pin 51, the ends of theyoke arms being bifurcated so as to be of upstanding U-shape to embracehorizontally disposed rigidly mounted pins 68 and 59 mounted in the endsof the rocker arms 55 and 5| respectively which are opposite to the endshaving the fingers 53 and 59.

The yoke member 55 is pivoted to the upper end of a push rod 15, thelower end of which is threaded to receive a pair of nuts 1| and axiallybored to receive the upper end of an axially disposed, downwardlyprojecting pin 12. The lower end of the pin 12 is slidably received inan axially disposed bore 13 of a push rod 14. The push rods 1D and 1li`are normally held in spaced relation by a helical compression spring15, the upper end of which surrounds the lower end of the push rod liland bears against the adjusting nut 1|, and the lower end of whichsimilarly surrounds the upper end of push rod 14 and bears against a nut11 which is threaded on the top end thereof. Axial movement is impartedto the two part push rod assembly in an upward direction by a cam 18which is fixed to a horizontally journaled counter-shaft 15 shown byFigs. l and 2.

The push rod land rocker arms are normally yieldingly urged downward byhelical tension springs B5 and 8|, the upper ends of which are attachedto the pins 53 and 59, respectively, and i.the lower ends of which areanchored to horizontally disposed brackets 8,2 and 83 which areintegrally formed on the bifurcated ends 511 and 65 respectively, of thesupporting bracket 53.

Again referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the countershaft 19 is journaled atopposite ends in the lower ends of depending brackets 65 and 85, theupper ends of which are rigidly secured to the underside of the topplate |5. Rotation is imparted to the counter-shaft 19 by a belt 85which passes around a pulley 81 fixed on the counter-shaft 35 and asimilar pulley wheel iixed to the counter-shaft 15.

Now referring to Fig. 6 particularly, as the rollers are forceddownwardly by the iingers 58 and 59 of the rocker arms, they aredeflected by the sloping end surface 91 of a block 88 which is rigidlyfastened to the bracket 55 by screw 89. The end of the block 88 havingthe sloping surface 51, is of substantially horizontal V-shape and thesloping surface 91 co-acts with one end 95 of a horizontally disposedslide plate member 9 l, which is normally urgedtoward the block 88 by ahelical compression spring 52. One end ofthe spring 52 abuts against afixed block 55 and the other end thereof bears against an upstandingstud 95 riveted to the top surface of the slide plate 9|. A set screw 95is threaded into a fixed block 95, for adjustably positioning the endwith respect to the sloping upper surface 91 of block 85, so as toprovide a restricted passageway of slightly smaller size than thediameter of rollers 52, thus causing the slide plate 9| to be movedslightly against the action of spring 92 when the rollers 52 are forceddown the passagewayy by the ngers 58 and 59. The blocks 93 and 96 arejoined to each other by top plate 98 and rigidly secured by screws 99and |00.

A horizontally disposed passageway which forms a magazine ll is providedbetween the bottom surface of the slide plate 9| and the top surface ofa block |02 which is rigidly secured to the upstanding bracket 55 by capscrews |53. The magazine mi is substantially of the same depth as themaximum diameter of the rollers 52 so that the rollers are receivedtherein in side by side relationship. Y

A yielding follower in the form of a pusher plate |55 has one endslidably received in the magazine mi, and the other end thereof securedto a cross-head |05 which is slidably journaled on a fixed rod |55. Ahelical compression spring |51 surrounds the outer end of the xed rod|55 and bears between the cross head |05 and an adjustable nut |58 whichis threaded on the end of the rod for varying the tension on the spring|01.

A vertically disposed slot |59 is provided in the block |52, the upperend of which communicates with the magazine |5i and the lower end ofwhich discharges into a box or container ||0 so as to take care of theoverflow of rollers from the magazine when a certain predeterminednumber have been forced therein and thus caused the follower |54 to bepushed back against the action of the spring |51 until the top end ofthe slot |59 is uncovered.

Rollers are fed out of the magazine |0| by the follower |55 which pushesthe rollers toward the block 85. The V-shaped end of the block 88 hasits lower sloping surface in spaced relation to a complementary surface||2 formed on the block |52 and the apex of the V-shaped end of theblock 8S is positioned above the horizontal centerline of the magazinemi so that when rollers in the magazine are pushed toward the block 83,they will have a tendency to feed downwardly into the slot formedbetween the surfaces and l i2. The vertical edge of the block |02adjacent the surface l2 is in spaced parallel relation to acomplementary surface of the bracket to form a vertically disposed slotH3, the lower end of which is in registry with a similar slot formed ina cylindrical bushing H4 which is rigidly mounted in the supportingbracket 55.

As shown best by Fig. '7, the bushing H4 is adapted to receive theenlarged shank H5 having a horizontally disposed mandrel H'o threadedthereinto, the outer surface of which is serrated and in concentricallyspaced relation to the interior of the bushing, a distance substantiallyequal to the diameter of the rollers 52. The shank or head H5 to whichthe mandrel H6 is attached inaxial relationship, has a sliding bearingfit within the Abushing H4 so as to hold the mandrel H5 centrallylocated within the bushing and permit rotative as well as axial movementtherein.

The shank or head H5 is integrally formed on one end of a horizontallydisposed shaft H1 which is slidably and rotatably journaled inupstanding spaced brackets H8 and H9 and in a similar bearing |25located adjacent the opposite end thereof and which is shown by Fig. 3.Means are provided for rotating the shaft H1 and comprise a gear Wheel2| splined to the shaft Ill' between the brackets H8 and H9 so as to berotatably xed thereto but permit axial sliding movement of the shaftthrough the gear wheel.

The gear |2| meshes with a mutilated gear I2 2 which is of larger sizeand has sufficient number of teeth thereon to impart one completerotation to the gear |2| and then permit a time period before againrotating it. The mutilated gear |22 is fixed on a horizontally disposedcounter-shaft |23, Which is journaled adjacent one end in the bracket H3and at a point adjacent its other end in a bearing bracket |24. Theceuntershaft |25, at the end thereof adjacent the bearing |24, isprovided with a bevel gear |25 which meshes with and is driven by asimilar bevel gear |25 rigidly fixed to a cross countershaft |21, whichis journaled in bearings |28 and |29 located adjacent the opposite endsthereof. The shaft |21 is in the same horizontal plane as the shaft H1and, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the end of the shaft H1opposite to the shank head H5, is bifurcated and provided with a roller|35 journaled between the arms of the bifurcation and which is engagedby a cam |3| fixed on the shaft |21 for imparting movement to the shaft|I1 at a time when the mutilated gear |22 is not in engagement with androtating the gear |2I.

Rotation is imparted to the shaft |21 by a` link belt |32 which engagesa pulley wheel |33 fixed on one end o-f the shaft |21 outward from thebearing |29. The belt |32 is driven by a pulley wheel |34 of a speedreduction unit I 35. Power is imparted to the speed reduction unit 55 byan electric motor |35 which is connected thereto by shafts |31 and |38and a flexible coupling |35 which interconnects adjacent ends of saidshafts. The motor I 35 is rigidly bolted to the shelf I1.

Snap switches |40 and |4| are mounted on the front plate I8 forcontrolling circuits to the electric motors 4| and I 35 respectively.

Means are provided for stripping the rollers from around the mandrel H6and comprise a pair of stripper plates |42 and |43 shown also by Fig. 6xedly attached to rock shafts |44 and |45 respectively. The shafts |44and |45 are interconnected by meshed gears |46 and |41 respectively sothat rotation of one of the shafts will cause similar rotation of theother shaft but in the opposite direction. The upper ends of thestripper plates |42 and |43 are out out in semi-circular shape, as shownin |48 and |49 respectively, so as to snugly surround the mandrel I I5and engage behind the rollers on the mandrel when the mandrel isprojected out of bushing H4 so that the rollers are stripped therefromupon retraction of the mandrel.

As shown best in Fig. 3, rocking movement of the shaft |45 is securedthrough the medium of a lever |50 which is rigidly affixed to said shaftand one end of which is engaged by a cam I 5| xed to the end of theshaft |23 which protrudes beyond the bearing I I8. Contact is maintainedbetween the long end of the lever |50 and cam |5| by a helical tensionspring |52, one end of which is anchored to the top plate I5 and theother end of which is attached to the end of the lever.

Means are provided for aiding the operator of the machine to hold aroller bearing member in position to receive the rollers from themandrel H5, and comprises an upstanding bracket |54 rigidly mounted onthe top plate |5 by cap screws |55. The upper end of the bracket |54 isprovided with a frusto-spherical socket opening |56 of such contour asto snugly receive a bearing member |51 and hold the same in concentricregistry with the mandrel HB.

The interior of the bearing member |51 is preferably provided with acoating of cup grease so as to retain the rollers 52 therein uponwithdrawal of the mandrel H6. Such withdrawal of the mandrel isaccomplished by a helical compression spring |58 which surrounds theshaft H1 and'bears between the fixed bracket H9 and a collar |59 whichis secured to the shaft H 1, so as to normally maintain the roller |30of shaft I I1 in contact with the cam |3| at all times.

In the operation of this machine, a quantity of rollers 52 are placed inthe hopper I9 and the cover plate 2| placed thereon. The motor 4| isthen started which, through link belt 42, counter-shaft 36, belt 34 andshaft 21, will rotate the bottom 26 of the hopper and thus bycentrifugal force align a series of rollers 52 about the side wall 20 ofthe hopper in the lower corner thereof at the junction of the side walland rotating bottom 2B. projected into the discharge conduit 45 bycentrifugal force and the flow of rollers into the conduit is aided bythe agitator comprising the cam finger 41 on disc 46, which is rotatedthrough the link belt 50 from the shaft 21.

It is to be noted that the direction of rotation of the hopper bottom 26and the disc 46 are the same so that the lug 41, as it passes into thehopper, moves in a direction opposite to the direction of movement ofthe rollers being fed into the discharge conduit so as to strike againstthe rollers located adjacent the opening to conduit 45 and push thembackward and out of line with the opening. It will be observed that byreason of the chain drive of disc 46 from the hopper shaft 21, thelineal feed of the periphery of the hopper will greatly exceed that ofthe finger 41. Hence the ringer will strike and remove from the entranceto the conduit 45 only a few out of a relatively large number of rollersfed to the conduit. This does not materially interfere with the feedingof the rollers but does provide a positive means for occasionallyclearing the entrance to the conduit 35 of any rollers These alignedrollers are fil which, due to misalignment, may block the opening.

As the rollers pass through the discharge conduit they enter thepassageway at theqterminatingend thereof and abut against the oppositewall of the passage. `Movement, of the rollers down the vertical slotrand through the restricted opening formed by the sloping .surface'gl' ofblock 88 and the adjacent end @d of the spring pressed plate 9| isaccomplished by Verticalmovement of the iing'ers 523 and il@ which areattached to the rocker arms 6|) and El. f

Movement is imparted to these rocker arms to cause reciprocation of thefingers by the push rods 'lil and 'ii which are normally held in spacedrelation by the compression spring lt. Axial movement of the push rodassembly is caused by the cam 1S which is driven from the countershaft3S through the belt 85. In the event one of the rollers should not beprojected completely into the vertical slot or passageway from thevdischarge conduit 45, such roller will not be broken or bent by reasonofthe flexible drive through thek compression spring 76 or if the rolleris only part way acrossk the passageway, the finger 5B, which hasavshorter contacting end than the ringer 59, may move downwardlyindependently of the finger 59 by reason of the rocking yoke $56 whichis pivoted to the top end of the push rod it and through which movementis imparted to the rocker arm t@ and tl against the tension of springs8@ and di.

As rollers 52 are fed downwardly through the restricted opening and intothe magazine iti, they will at first continue their downward movement inthe slot. H3 until-contact is made -with the mandrel l@ which at thattime is in the position shown in Fig. 'l of the drawings. Continuedfeeding of the rollers will cause the follower itil to move tothe left,as viewed in -Fig. 6, until the follower lili uncovers the overflow slotilg, at which rtime any further or additional rollers drop downwardlyinto the box li.

At this time the motor |35is started which, through the shafts iSl and|38, gear reduction unit |35, and belt |32, will cause rotation of thecross counter-shaft lill.. Rotationof this shaft will in turn, throughthe medium of the beveled gears |25 and 25, cause rotation of thecountershaft B23, which carries the mutilated gear |22. When the teethon the gear |22 engage with the teeth on the gear |25, which is slidablykeyed to the shaft lil, one complete rotation of the shaft takes place,such rotation causing the rollers 52 to be carried around the mandrel li6 soas to completely ll the space between the mandrel and the interiorof the cylindrical bushing lift. The mechanism is so timed that at thispoint the shaft lil is moved axially to the right to move the mandrelout of the bushing.

As the shaft Hl begins to move axially, the operator places the bearingmember 25? in the socket l so as to be in position to receive the seriesof rollers which are grouped around-the periphery of the mandrel HB;When the rollers have been projected into the memberY l5? by themandrel, the relieved sideof the cam |55 is in position to permitrocking movement of lever i5@ which is caused by the tension'spring |52,such rocking movementJ causing'rotation of the shafts Ulli and |135 inopposite directions by reason of the meshed gears liti and im Xed tosaid shafts. Rotation of the shafts causes the upper ends of thestripper plates M2 and |43 to move inwardly and surround the mandrelimmediately back of the rollers thereon and remain in this positionuntil the compression spring |58 returns the shaft lil to its originalposition, at which time the cam actuates the lever |58 to restore thestripper plates to their former, positions.

lThe capacity of the vertical slot l i3 and of the magazine |0| is suchthat a sufficient number of rollers are provided to quickly iill thespace around the mandrel upon rotation thereof, the feeding of therollers downwardly and around the mandrel being accelerated by thespring pressed.v follower |04.

The layer or" cup grease around the inner periphery of the bearingmember |51 retains the rollers 52 therein while the operator removes thebearing member from the socket |56 and during the time until the bearingis assembled onY its trunnion. Y

Although but one specific embodiment or" this invention has been hereinshown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of theconstruction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

We claim:

l. A mechanism for feeding roller bearings in end-.to-end relationcomprising ahopperhaving an annular side wall, a rotatable bottom in thehopper, lmeans for rotating the bottom, said side wall having an openingfor the discharge in endto-end relation of rollers carried by the outeredge of said bottom, and means movable entirely across said opening forintermittently displacing rollers located within the hopper and adjacentsaid opening from a position inline with said opening. Y

2. A mechanism for feeding roller bearings i end-to-end relationcomprising a hopper having an annular side wall, a rotatable bottom inthe hopper, means for rotating the bottom, said side wall having anopening of sufficient size to receive only a single roller at a time inan endwise direction for the discharge in end-to-end relation of rollerscarried by the outer edge of said bottom, means for engaging anddeflecting rollers located within thehopper and adjacent said openingfrom a position in line with said opening, and means for operating saidlast named means to deect said rollers at intervals spaced in timesuciently to permit thedischarge of a plurality of rollers through saidopening between deflecting operations.

3. A mechanism for feeding roller bearings in end-to-end relationcomprising a hopper having an annular side wall', a rotatable bottom inthe hopper, means for rotating the bottom, said side wall havinganopening for the discharge in endto-end relation of rollers carried bythe outer edge of said bottom, and means for intermittently displacingrollers located within the hopper and adjacent said opening from aposition in line with-said opening, said means comprising a hori- Zontalrotatable disc carrying a projection adapted to move in a pathvextending entirely across said opening.

' FRANK KETCHAM.'

GEORGE E.' DUNN.

